This is the story of a boy who was made the ruler of a warlike country when he was eight years old and who managed to compel obedience from the rebellious barons who surrounded him; who grew up to be a wise leader and an able general and who, moreover, had such physical strength that no other man could bend his hunting bow; who envied a green and bountiful island and made war on the people who lived there with the result that a famous battle was fought. This boy who became one of the most turbulent figures of the Middle Ages was to be known ever after as William the Conqueror.

I absolutely love Thomas Costain’s four volume history of the Plantagenet dynasty and their rule over England for adults, so I was poised to enjoy this Landmark book about William the Conqueror as well. And I did. Costain has a lively, gossipy style of writing, and he keeps the narrative going full speed even when the battles turn into long sieges or William himself becomes old and fat and sedentary. Of course, William had a pretty eventful and colorful life, so there’s lots of material to work with in telling his story.

Unfortunately, I have to be the critic and say that one particular event in William’s life that was included in the book would have been better left out of a book for young people. Beginning on page 60, Costain tells the story of William’s courtship of his future wife, Matilda. William continued this courtship of a reluctant daughter of the Count of Flanders for seven years, but finally, as the story goes, he had enough. He confronted Matilda when she was coming out of church, ripped off her cloak, and shook her, saying “I shall wait on your caprices no longer!” Matilda fell to the ground, and William rode off.

The author’s commentary on this disturbing scene is even more disturbing:

“Perhaps it is from this instance, and many similar ones which can be found in the pages of history, that a belief has come down even to modern times about the best method to be used in courtship. Certainly it has been widely believed that women like to won by force. Matilda proceeded to add substance to the belief. She made up her mind at once that she wanted to marry William of Normandy after all.”

Since the entire story is a legend rather than a documented fact and since the Landmark series is written for middle grade and young adult readers, this story could have rephrased or left out altogether. Other than that, though, I found nothing to complain about in the book and much to praise. William has traits to be admired and even emulated and others that are not so admirable. Readers will get an introduction to British history and a good story to boot.